Crisis Rocks Ojo ADC as Members Reject Alleged Move to Return Seyi Sowunmi in 2027

By Peter Dansu 

A fresh political crisis has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State as aggrieved party members staged a protest against what they described as an attempt to impose incumbent House of Representatives member, Seyi Sowunmi, as the party’s candidate for the 2027 general elections.

The protest, which took place at the Ojo Local Government Secretariat on Thursday, April 2, drew a large crowd of ADC members, including several former Labour Party stakeholders who recently defected to the party.

The protesters openly declared that they would resist any move to hand Sowunmi the ADC ticket ahead of the 2027 House of Representatives election for Ojo Federal Constituency.

Sowunmi, who currently represents Ojo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, was elected in 2023 under the Labour Party before later defecting to the ADC.

Leading the protest, former Labour Party chairmanship candidate in Ojo, Abudu Akinlola Olumayowa, said members who moved from the Labour Party to ADC in December 2025 did so with the hope of building a stronger and more democratic platform.

According to him, the group rejected what it described as the “brazen impunity” of imposing Sowunmi on party members.

“We moved to ADC as a block on December 13, 2025. At the time, everybody knew that the Labour Party had won the House of Representatives seat in Ojo. Later, Seyi Sowunmi was expelled from the Labour Party and moved into ADC,” Olumayowa said.

“He has been displaying financial strength and allegedly trying to buy his way into the party, making the people lose their voice. We have come together to speak with one voice that whatever the party is doing with him is an aberration.

“I have chosen the people over politics. I have chosen justice over personal interest. If ADC wants to win in Ojo, then it must go with the people, and the people are saying they reject Seyi Sowunmi today, tomorrow and forever.”

Another party stakeholder, Comrade Olukoya Olusegun Olayinka, accused the lawmaker of abandoning the people after benefiting from their support during the 2023 elections.

Olayinka, who also defected from the Labour Party to ADC, alleged that Sowunmi had spent the last three years intimidating party loyalists instead of delivering meaningful development to the constituency.

“This man has been harassing us for the past three years. He is not from Ojo. He came from Ifako-Ijaiye and was imposed on us during the Labour Party days,” he said.

“We told him that he was the face of Peter Obi in Ojo and that if he failed to deliver, then both he and the movement would fail in Ojo. Instead of listening, he turned against those who supported him.

“Now that we are in ADC, we are saying clearly that the people of Ojo must be allowed to choose who they want. We will not accept another imposition.”

The ADC women leader in Ojo, Comrade Ukaria Igwe, also joined the protest, insisting that women in the party no longer wanted Sowunmi to represent the constituency.

“We are not comfortable with Seyi Sowunmi. He is not from Ojo and over the last three years, nothing has been done in the constituency,” she said.

“There are no constituency projects to point to. The people are tired and they are saying enough is enough.”

Also speaking at the protest, former Deputy Chairman of the Labour Party in Lagos State, Pastor Yemi Ayeni, said Ojo residents had supported Sowunmi in 2023 because they wanted change after years of dissatisfaction with the political establishment in the area.

Ayeni said many people now felt betrayed by the lawmaker’s performance.

“We worked, voted and won because we believed things would be different. The people of Ojo gave him everything he has today,” he said.

“But for three years, there has been nothing to show. No constituency projects, no visible development, only promises and disappointment.

“Now he wants to return in 2027, but the people are gathered here to say they do not want him again.”

The protest is expected to deepen the internal crisis within ADC in Ojo as the party begins early preparations for the 2027 elections.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Seyi Sowunmi nor the leadership of the ADC in Lagos State had officially responded to the allegations raised by the protesters.

WILL EKITI'S 'MADMAN' FINALLY EAT THE FLIES IN 2027 ELECTIONS?

By Femi AWOJOBI.

There is a proverb that haunts the corridors of power: "When flies eat away at a madman, nobody complains. It is only when the madman eats the flies in revenge that eyebrows are raised.”

In Ekiti today, the 'flies' of systemic injustice are biting hard, but the victims are finally waking up. As the 2026 political sentiment begins to bake the bread of the 2027 general elections, the status quo is shaking.

The legal storm is already gathering. While the PDP’s Dr. Wole Oluyede has secured a Court of Appeal nod for INEC recognition, the APC is suffocating under the weight of its own legitimacy crisis. Between the suspicious removal of names from the party register and the disqualification of aspirants before the primaries, Governor Biodun Oyebanji may dismiss these cases as 'futile', but the litigants are banking on a judiciary that refuses to be bullied.

But let’s talk about the real tragedy which is the festival of misplaced priorities. At a time when President Tinubu’s administration is pumping abundant resources into the states, many of our 'distinguished' Representatives are delivering nothing but narcoleptic performances.

Look no further than Senator Cyril Fasuyi. In a move that defines 'monumental failure',  the Senator recently gifted a car to a serving Commissioner, a woman already enjoying a consolidated salary and the perks of office, while the masses starve. This isn’t 'teaching a man to fish',  it is a desperate, illogical 'scratch-my-back' gangster arrangement. It is an insult to the electorate.

These lawmakers, the likes of Senators Cyril Fasuyi, Yemi Adaramodu, and Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB respectfully, , alongside House of Reps. Members like Femi Bamisile (BAFEM), Sola Fatoba, Rufus Ojuawo, Biodun Omoleye, Akin Rotimi, and Akinlayo Kolawole, have become nothing more than glorified personal assistants to their colleagues. Some are directionless, others are merely  'merriment' specialists at public functions, yet they have the audacity to eye second and third terms.

Where is the stewardship? The public domain says Senators pocket an average of ₦2 Billion quarterly (₦8 Billion annually) in constituency allowances. House members take home ₦1 Billion quarterly (₦4 Billion annually). Where are the bills? Where are the projects? For most, their performance is not just below average, it is inept and puerile! 

In Ekiti North, the disparity is a wound that won’t heal. For 24 out of the last 28 years, Federal Constituency II (Moba, Ido/Osi, Ilejemeje) has monopolised the Senate seat. Constituency I (Oye and Ikole) had only four years under Senator Ayo Arise (2007-2011). Yet, in those four years, Arise’s matchless performance, including the facilitation of FUOYE, outshines 3 other Senators combined together ..

The clock is ticking. With the new amended electoral law signed by President Tinubu on February 18, 2026, the primaries are less than two months away. The era of dozing in the Green and Red Chambers must end. 2027 is not just an election; it is a rescue mission. Ekiti deserves leaders who drive development, not egocentric 'back-scratchers' who trade the future of the masses for political favors.

The time to choose is now. The 'madman' is tired of the flies.

Femi Awojobi, 

Senior  Journalist, Public Affairs Analyst & Strategic Communications Expert writes  from Ado Ekiti

08037643696 | [email protected]

Alleged Murder Case Stalls as Questions Mount Over Influence and Delayed Justice

By Peter Dansu 

The prolonged delay in an Abuja Division of the Federal High Court case involving an alleged unresolved murder has raised serious concerns about the administration of justice and the potential role of influence in judicial processes.

At the center of the controversy is Asabe Waziri, a staff member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), who has been linked to a 2010 incident involving the death of a pregnant woman, Mrs. Shitua Aso.

The case, filed in May 2024 by the Incorporated Trustees of Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), is not a criminal trial but a judicial review application seeking to compel the Nigeria Police to release the final investigation report into the incident.

A Pattern of Delays

Despite the relatively straightforward nature of a mandamus application, the case has experienced multiple adjournments—at least five—over nearly two years.

The plaintiff alleges that these delays are not incidental but are instead the result of actions taken by the defendants, particularly:

The late and limited participation of the Nigeria Police, which reportedly filed only a conditional appearance more than a year after the case was instituted. 

The absence of substantive filings or engagement from the respondents and

Repeated adjournments without meaningful progress

Such patterns raise questions about whether the delays are administrative inefficiencies—or something more deliberate.

The Controversial Role of Asabe Waziri

A key point of contention is the decision by Asabe Waziri to join the suit as a respondent, despite the plaintiff’s claim that the relief sought is directed solely at the statutory duties of the police.

Legal observers suggest that this move may have had the effect of complicating proceedings and contributing to delays.

Critics argue that:

Her inclusion introduces additional procedural layers, It potentially shifts focus away from the core issue—the release of the investigation report and It may serve as a strategic buffer against scrutiny

Allegations of Influence

While no court has made a finding of wrongdoing, the plaintiff’s position implies concern that Waziri’s status and institutional affiliation may be contributing to the slow pace of the case.

The perception of influence is fueled by:

The extraordinary delay in a simple judicial review matter, the lack of urgency from law enforcement authorities and the continued non-disclosure of a long-completed investigation

Justice Delayed, Justice Denied?

For the family of the deceased, the case represents more than legal procedure—it is a test of whether accountability can be achieved.

The plaintiff has now taken the unusual step of requesting that the case be reassigned to another judge to ensure expeditious handling.

As the matter resumes, broader questions remain: Can the judicial system act independently in cases involving powerful individuals? Is procedural delay being used as a tool to avoid accountability? And ultimately, will the truth behind the 2010 incident ever be made public